Which mechanism causes high-altitude winds in the jet stream to deflect eastward in the Northern Hemisphere?

💡 Explanation

When air masses move poleward or equatorward, the Coriolis force deflects them due to Earth's rotation, because it imparts an apparent force perpendicular to the direction of motion, causing objects in motion to deflect. Therefore the deflection results from the Coriolis effect rather than thermal convection, latent heat, or albedo, which relate to temperature gradients.

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